Wire straightener



Oct. 18, 1955 P. E. SEIBEL 2,720,907

WIRE STRAIGHTENER Filed Aug. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR wig, n mvm ATTORNEYS Oct. 18, 1955 P. E. SEIBEL 2,720,907

WIRE STRAIGHTENER Filed Aug. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS it may be fixed in the race as shown WIRE STRAIGHTENER Peter E. Seibel, West Hempstead, N. Y., assiguor of onellalf to Abraham Borut, New York, N. Y.

Application August 22, 1952, Serial No. 305,760 9 Claims. (Cl. 153-99) This invention relates to an improved wire straightener of the rotary type and in particular to an apparatus in which the straightening effect on the wire may be changed while the machine is in operation.

In carrying out my invention I provide a wire straightener of simple and economical construction with a pair of rotors adapted to spin a portion of the wire to be straightened in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis of the wire through the straightener. As a result of this spinning action of the rotors, the wire is bent successively in all directions around its longitudinal axis and this gives the desired straightening efiFect. The amount of straightening of the wire depends upon the angle the spinning portion makes with the axis of the wire and the great convenience of my device is that this angle may be changed at will without stopping the spinning rotors. Thus the straightening etfect can be readily changed to compensate for irregularities in bend or flexibility of the wire while the machine is in operation.

This invention may readily be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view taken on a plane through the middle of my wire straightener;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts in readiness to receive the wire to be straightened;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the exterior of the straightener;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a ball-bearing mount for the bushing in the inner races.

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of a modified form of my invention.

Turning now to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, wire straightener 10 is carried by standard 12 and it includes a stationary cylinder 14 which mounts an expandable thimble 16 by means of the screw threads indicated at 18. Thimble 16 and cylinder 14 have three circular tracks 20, 22 and 24 each of which mount an inner race 26, 28 and 30 respectively by means of the ball bearings indicated at 32. The inner races rotate around the longitudinal axis through the center of wire straightener 10 and they are driven at the same speed by bar 34 which is keyed to race 26. Race 26 is driven by grooved pulley 36 which is in turn driven by a belt and motor not shown. It is to be noted that races 28 and 30 are not attached to bar 34 and they are free to slide along the bar.

The center of pulley 36 is drilled out to provide a passageway for wire 38 (see Fig. 2) and each race has a center hole 40 which may be fitted with a bushing of hardened metal 42 to prevent wear. If a bushing is used in Fig. l or it may run on ball bearings 44 as shown in Fig. 5.

Inner races 26 and 30 each have an internal slot 46 which cooperates with similar slots 43 and 50 on each side of race 28 to support a pair of rotors 52 and 54 by means of slides 56 positioned on opposite sides of the rotors (see Fig. l and Fig. 4). Slides 56 move into and out of slots 46, 48 and 50 when the distance between the races is its States Patent G M 2,720,907 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 changed (later described) and as a result rotors 52 and 54 move toward or away from the longitudinal axis through the center of wire straightener 1 0. Each rotor has a hole 58 through its base and as in the case of races 26, 28 and 30 the hole may be provided with a bushing of hardened metal 60 which may be fixed in the rotor or run on ball bearings.

As mentioned above the position of rotors 52 and 54 in wire straightener 10 is determined by the distance between races 26, 28 and 30 and this distance depends upon the position of circular tracks 20, 22 and 24. Track 20 is held in a set position in cylinder 14 by means of set screws 62 and the distance between the races is changed by moving the other tracks 22 and 24 toward or away from track 20.

The position of track 24 which is fixed in thimble 16 by means of collar 64 and set screws 66 is changed by screwing thimble 16 into and out of cylinder 14 on threads 18. At the same time this also changes the position of track 22 which is held by threads 68 on the interior of thimble 16. Track 22 cannot turn with threads 68 because it is held by bars 70 which are keyed to the stationary circular track 20. Track 22 is free to slide along bars 70 and as a result the track moves threads 68 when the expandable thimble 16 is moved in cylinder 14. Since the size of threads 68 are exactly one-half the size of threads 18, track 22 and its race move exactly one-half the distance moved by track 24 and its race. Accordingly if track 24 is moved one inch away from track 20, track 22 moves one-half inch away from track 20 and therefore the increase in distance between tracks 20 and 22 is equal to the increase in distance between tracks 22 and 24.

As to the rotors, since slides 56 and slots 46, 48 and 50 form approximately the same angle with a vertical plane taken through rotors 52 and 54, both rotors move the same distance toward or away from the longitudinal axis through the center of wire straightener 10. For best results the parts are made of uniform size so that holes 58 in rotors 52 and 54 lie in a straight line drawn parallel to the longitudinal axis through the center of wire straightener 10. When this is done the action of each rotor on wire 38 is the same. The particular angle formed by slides 56 and slots 46, 48 and 50 with a vertical plane through rotors 52 and 54 is not critical but for best results we prefer to use an angle of forty-five degrees. The exact shape of rotors 52 and 54 is unimportant but once a particular shape is selected the proportion of its weight taken by each race should be balanced. We do this by forming protuberances 72 on the races each of which is approximately equal to one-half of the weight of each rotor.

One convenient way in which the unit may be assembled is to slide bar 34 and bars 70 of race 20 through the corresponding slots in races 22 and 24. The distance between the races is then equalized and slides 56 of rotors 52 and 54 are positioned in slots 46, 48 and 50. Thimble 16 is then screwed on the circular track of race 22 until rim 74 of the thimble is flush with the face of the circular track as shown in Fig. 1. Set screws 66 in collar 64 of thimble 16 are tightened in circular track 24. Cylinder 14 is screwed in thimble 16 and set screws 62 of cylinder 14 are also tightened in track 20. With the parts thus assembled the distance between races 26, 28 and 30 is equal and rotors 52 and 54 are positioned the same dis tance away from the longitudinal axis through the center of wire straightener 10 (see Fig. 1).

To operate wire straightener 10, thimble 16 is screwed into the closed position of Fig. 2 and with the thimble in this position, holes 58 in rotors 52 and 54 are in line with holes 40 of races 26, 28 and 30. Wire 38 is threaded through the holes. The motor (not shown) which drives pulley 36 is turned on and wire 38 is gradually pulled through wire straightener 10 either by mechanical means or by hand. Wire straightener 10 is then expanded by moving thimble 16 away from cylinder 12 until the wire coming out of race 30 is straight. The greater the expansion of straightener 10, the greater the distance between the rotors and the longitudinal axis through the center of the wire straightener and the greater the straightening effect upon wire 38.

If the wire starts to come through crooked because of a change in the bend of the entering wire or because of change in flexibility of the wire itself, the wire straightener is simply expanded or contracted until the desired straightening effect is achieved and this is done without stopping the races. To assist in making adjustments the cylinder may be marked at intervals to indicate each full turn of thimble 16 away from the closed position of Fig. 2 and the thimble may be marked for each sixteenth of a turn giving a micrometer arrangement which serves as a guide for determining the straightening effect on the wire.

Although this description has been directed to a wire straightener having two rotors, it is obvious that one or more than two rotors may be employed. For example, we have schematically illustrated a wire straightener with three rotors in Fig. 6. The construction is the same as that described above except that threads 76 are twothirds the size of threads 78 and threads 80 are onethird the size of threads 73. As a result when the wire straightener is expanded or contracted, the distance between each set of races expands and contracts the same amount.

It will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the preferred embodiment of this invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for straightening wire, the combination which comprises a cylinder and a cooperating thimble in threaded engagement with the interior of said cylinder whereby the cylinder and thimble may be expanded and contracted, said thimble and cylinder each having a circular track with an inner race adapted to run in said track, said thimble having a second circular track with an inner race adapted to run in said track, means for supporting said second circular track within the unexposed end portion of the thimble adapted to move said second circular track one-half the increase in distance obtained between said races at the exposed ends of said cylinder and thimble when the cylinder and thimble are expanded, means for preventing rotation of each of said circular tracks relative to one another means for driving said inner races at the same rate of speed, a rotor positioned in the space between said races, said races being further adapted to cooperate with each other to spin said rotors in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble and to change the distance between said rotors and longitudinal axis of the cylinder, a set proportion of the change in distance between each of said races when the cylinder and thimble are expanded, said races being further adapted to support the wire to be straightened in position at approximately the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and said rotors being further adapted to support a portion of said wire between said races and spin it in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis of said wire whereby the wire is successively bent in all directions around its axis and straightened.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1 in which the adjoining faces of the inner races are each provided with a slot positioned at an angle, with a vertical plane through said races, and opposite sides of the rotors are provided with slides which fit into said slots to slidably support said rotors whereby the distance between said rotors and the longitudinal axis through the center of said thimble and cylinder is changed for changes in the distance between said adjoining faces of the inner races caused by expanding said thimble and cylinder.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2 in which the slots form an angle of forty-five degrees with a vertical plane through said races.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1 in which the means for supporting said second circular track in said thimble include screw threads having twice the number of threads per inch as the threads on the interior of said cylinder for holding the thimble.

5. In an apparatus for straightening wire, the combination which comprises a cylinder and a cooperating thimble, means for adjustably mounting one end of said thimble at one end of said cylinder whereby the cylinder and thimble may be expanded or contracted, rotative means positioned in the second end of said thimble, rotative means positioned in the second end of said cylinder and rotative means positioned in the end of said thimble which is mounted on the cylinder, means for adjustably mounting said rotative means in the end of said thimble which is mounted on the cylinder adapted to move said rotative means one half the increase in distance, and one half the decrease in distance obtained between said rotative means positioned in the second end of said cylinder and thimble when the cylinder and thimble are expanded and contracted respectively, said three rotative means being adapted to rotate independently of the cylinder and thimble without causing rotation thereof, each of said rotative means being further adapted to support a portion of the wire to be straightened in position at approximately the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble, means for rotating said rotative means at the same rate of speed without causing rotation of said rotative means relative to each other, a rotor positioned in the space between each of said rotative means, said rotative means being further adapted to cooperate with each other to spin said rotors in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble and to change the distance between said rotors a set proportion of the change in distance between each of said rotative means when the cylinder and thimble are expanded or contracted, said rotors being adapted to support a portion of said wire between said rotative means and spin it in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis of said cylinder whereby the wire is successively bent in all directions around its axis to straighten it and whereby the position of both rotors may be changed relative to the longitudinal axis through the cylinder to compensate for changes in the bend of the wire without stopping rotation of said rotative means within the cylinder and thimble.

6. In an apparatus for straightening wire the combination which comprises a cylinder and a cooperating thimble, said thimble having screw threads on its interior and exterior surfaces at one end thereof and being mounted in threaded engagement at one end of said cylinder by means of said exterior screw threads whereby the thimble and cylinder may be expanded and contracted by screwing the thimble into and out of the cylinder, said screw threads on the interior of said thimble' having twice the number of threads per inch as the screw thread on the exterior of said thimble, rotative means positioned in the second end of said thimble, rotative means positioned in the second end of said cylinder, and rotative means held in a mounting which is in threaded engagement with said interior threads of the thimble, means for preventing rotation of said mounting held in threaded engagement with the thimble whereby the rotative means associated with said interior threads move one half the increase in distance and one half the decrease in distance obtained between said rotative means positioned in the second end of said cylinder and thimble resulting from expansion or contraction of said cylinder and thimble, said three rotative means being adapted to rotate independently of the cylinder and thimble without causing rotation thereof, each of said rotative means being adapted to support a portion of the wire to be straightened in position at approximately the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble, means for rotating said rotative means at the same rate of speed without causing rotation of said rotative means relative to each other, a rotor positioned in the space between each of said rotative means, said rotative means being further adapted to cooperate with each other to spin said rotors in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble and to change the distance between said rotors a set proportion of the change in distance between each of said rotative means when the cylinder and thimble are expanded or contracted, said rotors being adapted to support a portion of said wire between said rotative means and spin it in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis of said cylinder whereby the wire is successively bent in all directions around its axis to straighten it and whereby the position of both rotors may be changed relative to the longitudinal axis through the cylinder to compensate for changes in the bend of the wire without stopping rotation of said rotative means within the cylinder and thimble.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6 in which the rotative means and mountings comprise a circular track which mounts an inner race adapted to run in said track.

8. A structure as specified in claim 6 in which the adjoining faces of the rotative means are each provided with a slot positioned at an angle with a vertical plane through said rotative means, and opposite sides of the rotors are provided with slides which fit into said slots to slidably support said rotors whereby the distance between said rotors and the longitudinal axis through the center of said thimble and cylinder is changed for changes in the distance between said adjoining faces of the rotative means caused by expanding or contracting said thimble and cylinder.

9. In an apparatus for straightening wire the combination which comprises a cylinder and a cooperating thimble, means for adjustably mounting one end of said thimble at one end of said cylinder whereby the cylinder and thimble may be expanded or contracted, rotative means positioned in the second end of said thimble, rotative means positioned in the second end of said cylinder, a pair of spaced rotative means positioned within said thimble, means for adjustably mounting one of said pair of rotative means in the thimble adapted to move said rotative means one-third the increase in dis tance and one-third the decrease in distance obtained between said rotative means positioned in the second end of said thimble and cylinder when the cylinder and thimble are expanded or contracted, means for adjustably mounting the second one of said pair of spaced rotative means in the thimble adapted to move said rotative means two-thirds the increase in distance and two-thirds the decrease in distance obtained between said rotative means positioned in the second end of said thimble and cylinder when the cylinder and thimble are expanded, each of said rotative means being adapted to rotate independently of the cylinder and thimble without causing rotation thereof, means for preventing rotation of each of said rotative means relative to one another and for driving said rotative means at the same rate of speed, each of said rotative means being adapted to support a portion of the wire to be straightened in position at approximately the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble, a rotor positioned in the space between each of said rotative means, said rotative means being further adapted to cooperate with each other to spin said rotors in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis through the center of said cylinder and thimble and to change the distance between said rotors a set proportion of the change in'distance between each of said rotative means when the cylinder and thimble are expanded or contracted, said rotors being adapted to support a portion of said wire between said rotative means and spin it in an expanded concentric circle around the longitudinal axis of said cylinder whereby the wire is successively bent in all directions around its axis to straighten it and whereby the position of both rotors may be changed relative to the longitudinal axis through the cylinder to compensate for changes in the bend of the wire without stopping rotation of said rotative means within the cylinder and thimble.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 293,212 Angstrom Feb. 12, 1884 293,213 Angstrom Feb. 12, 1884 710,151 Iverson Sept. 30, 1902 937,489 Vandercook Oct. 19, 1909 1,912,940 Herr June 6, 1933 2,067,972 Leech Jan. 19, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 939,118 France Apr. 19, 1948 

